My youngest is beyond thrilled about Christmas time. This year he was saying he couldn't wait for Christmas in mid-October. As soon as November 1st came he was ready to play Christmas music.
I definitely wanted to document his excitement on facebook a few times and it got me thinking that I should share a glimpse of our lives during this holiday season. Here's how we celebrate Christmas in our home.
Christmas Traditions in Our Home
*We put up the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving
Usually, the Christmas tree goes up on Black Friday while I'm out shopping. But this year I let my son put it out the day before Thanksgiving and he was so thrilled to do it.
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*I Change our Christmas Decor
Christmas Decor has evolved in my home over the years. We used to go all out and put lights in the windows, hang up every Christmas card I've ever received and little Christmas knickknacks were neatly displayed all around the house. Now our Christmas decor is more simple and I opt for wall art instead of nick-nacks.
One of the biggest things that I continue to do is to switch up my Christmas decorations every year. Sometimes all I do is alternate it from years before. This year our tree is gold and turquoise to match the new home decor we did earlier in the year. But last year we had white and gold Christmas decorations and the year before that we used red and gold.
One of the biggest things that I continue to do is to switch up my Christmas decorations every year. Sometimes all I do is alternate it from years before. This year our tree is gold and turquoise to match the new home decor we did earlier in the year. But last year we had white and gold Christmas decorations and the year before that we used red and gold.
*We Listen to Christmas Music
Of course, we are listening to Christmas music while we do all of our decorating. every year we pull out the Christmas music and listen to it usually the entire month of December. Our favorites are the Real Meaning of Christmas, a compilation of gospel artists, Mandisa's - It's Christmas CD, the Katinas Christmas CD, and it wouldn't be Christmas around our house if we didn't play Fred Hammond's Christmas CD.
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The realness! |
*We Take our Annual Christmas Pictures
We gather the family and take pictures at a local church that does a really good job providing a Christmas backdrop for your family pictures. We dress a little festive and attempt to take a nice family picture. As you can see sometimes it's hard to get everyone on board.
Sometimes, you gotta go solo!
*I Bake Our Favorite Cookies
During Christmastime, the baker in me shines through and I start baking all kinds of Christmas cookies and treats. There's one cookie in particular that I have to make every year. It's a Double Chocolate Cherry cookie. I've tried making other types of cookies but this is the only one that just works for me. It turns out every single time and I love it and so do my kids.
*Give Us All the Christmas Movies!
Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without our favorite Christmas movies. I'm very nostalgic so I must watch Rudolph the red nose reindeer and a Charlie Brown Christmas but this year they must've played them early because I haven't seen them yet. Hopefully, they'll rerun it sometime before Christmas. But our favorite Christmas movies are the Grinch that stole Christmas you know that Jim Carrey one, and a Christmas story.
*Open One Gift on Christmas Eve
A lot of my Christmas traditions I grew up with and have continued to do them with my family. One, in particular, is every Christmas Eve night I allow my family to open one gift and it's always Christmas pajamas. Now that everyone is older they have come to expect those Christmas pajamas every year so I don't wrap them anymore and I just hand them out Christmas Eve night. One year I'd love to coordinate everybody's pajamas and take pictures. That sounds like so much fun!
A lot of my Christmas traditions I grew up with and have continued to do them with my family. One, in particular, is every Christmas Eve night I allow my family to open one gift and it's always Christmas pajamas. Now that everyone is older they have come to expect those Christmas pajamas every year so I don't wrap them anymore and I just hand them out Christmas Eve night. One year I'd love to coordinate everybody's pajamas and take pictures. That sounds like so much fun!
*Cook a Delicious Christmas Breakfast
Another Christmas tradition that I got from my mother was to fix a delicious breakfast for the family. My mom used to make the most creative candy cane bread filled with cherry pie filling and so many other yummy treats. After we get up early open Christmas presents (yeah we still do that) I'll head to the kitchen and whip up something delicious for Christmas morning like this cranberry bread or something similar.
Another Christmas tradition that I got from my mother was to fix a delicious breakfast for the family. My mom used to make the most creative candy cane bread filled with cherry pie filling and so many other yummy treats. After we get up early open Christmas presents (yeah we still do that) I'll head to the kitchen and whip up something delicious for Christmas morning like this cranberry bread or something similar.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
What are the Christmas today traditions in your home?
What are the Christmas today traditions in your home?
Merry Christmas Girl! My home decor is gray and turquoise, but didn't change up my Christmas colors this year to match. I think I'm going to change it up next year.
ReplyDeleteOur tradition is putting up our holiday decor after Thanksgiving, cooking together, and braving those Black Friday streets. LOL!
Beautiful Family Photo!
Thank you dear! Sounds like we do some of the same things.
DeleteChristmas is not one of my holidays, but I enjoy spending time with my family throughout the year. It’s a great way to spend genuine time with one another while accommodating our different religious and ethnic backgrounds. Being together out of sheer love and respect is also important for us.
ReplyDeleteTime with family is so important.
DeleteI love Christmas traditions! This year, my mom and I had matching Christmas pajamas and watched Christmas movies and it was super fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously going to try to match next year.
DeleteHappy Holidays! We usually put the tree up on the day after Thanksgiving. However, this year I was super late and didn't put mine up until Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is late. I could never wait that long.
DeleteHappy Holidays!! These are great traditions, and we do a lot of the same thing! I said next year I want to take holiday pictures!
ReplyDeleteDo it. There so fun!
DeleteThis post made Christmas look so beautiful, and it is! I always love a good tradition. I plan to start a new one with my family, since my girls and practically women now! I think we will travel as a family every Christmas, starting in 2018!
ReplyDeleteTraveling sounds fun. We stay put since we're all here.
DeleteChristmastime at your house sounds amazing! As much as I love the holiday, we still don't have a grasp on the traditions that we want to start. Hopefully next year will prove to be at least a semblance of what we'll celebrate here on out!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll come up with something fun for all of you.
DeleteI love Christmas as well! Love your traditions and family pics!
ReplyDeleteOh how I long for the days of Christmas pasts. I love how you've started your own family traditions and that's one of the major things that excites me about starting a family of my own. I think baking Christmas cookies and picking out the tree each year will def be staples in tradition.
ReplyDeleteWe are still working on getting our own Christmas traditions together. We have always spent it out of town with family, but this year was our first one at home with just us.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is my favorite time of the year. I love Christmas traditions, we also take family pictures every year.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas! Sad to see it go but I know that every year it rolls around that We will have a good family fun time!
ReplyDelete